The field of the invention is medical instruments, and more particularly, medical instruments used by medical personnel in examining the mouth and upper throat regions of the body.
In order to adequately examine the mouth and upper throat regions of the body, including the tonsils, it is necessary for medical personnel to use instruments to depress or move aside the tongue. In addition, it is necessary for medical personnel to use some sort of external non-monochromatic light source in order to adequately illuminate the relevant areas of the mouth and upper throat.
Traditionally, tongue depressors are made from a fibrous material such as wood and are held in one hand by the medical examiner. These devices are usually discarded after a single use in conjunction with the patient's examination. Light is typically provided by a small flashlight held in the medical examiner's other hand. Thus, both hands of the person performing the examination are tied up, thereby limiting other procedures or checks which may be simultaneously performed by the medical examiner. In addition, some patients complain of distaste or discomfort resulting from the use of fibrous tongue depressors.